The so-called “rectangular temple” in the Forum Boarium – near the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the Bocca della Verita – has been closed for decades. A temple was first founded on the site in the 6th century BC, though the building we see today is a reconstruction of about 80 BC.
Dedicated to Portunus, a god of rivers and harbors, the temple and its tutelary diety presided over one of Rome’s early ports on the Tiber River. But the thousands of years since antiquity have been rough on this structure: in the Middle Ages it was transformed from a pagan temple to a church, its location near the river and alongside of a busy road means that it’s been constantly caked in layers of pigeon poop and smog, and then there’s the water leaks that threatened the medieval frescoes inside.
An effort to clean and consolidate the building was undertaken some six years ago, but there wasn’t enough money to finish the job – conservators were only able to clean part of the cornice with the funds provided. However, in 2007 the World Monuments Fund and provided the 72,000 of the 1,4000,000 euro necessary to give a face lift to this most majestic of temples. With those funds, the western side of the temple will be cleaned and perhaps part of the front. The World Monuments Fund has also offered to help the Soprintendenza di Archeologica to find other sponsors to provide the funds necessary to complete the work.
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